JOHNSON GRASS.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 12 June 1912, Page 7

JOHNSON GRASS.

Several people lately have advocated the cultivation of Johnson grass for fodder purposes. That it is useful nobody who knows anything about it will attempt to deny ; but it has disadvantages. As an American agriculturist points out: — It is a great pity that this grass is so aggressive, for there is no grass known that will make more hay per acre. Down at the Mississippi Agricultural College, where the whole country is over-run with Johnson grass, I was taken out fty one of the professors to see their alfalfa. Stopping the buggy at one point in the road he said. "There is the alfalfa/ but I could see only Johnson grass. On walking into it I found that the alfalfa seemed to be holding its own, though the Johnson grass was the taller: The professor told me that it had been cut three times, and was then about ready for the fourth cutting, and there was as much of the Johnson grass as of the alfalfa after three cuttings. One good result in that section of the Johnson grass invasion has been that it has driven them out of all cotton into stock feeding, and they have concluded that after all the- Johnson grass is a blessing. I had rather, however, stick to grasses that. I can control rather than bring into a new section a grass that no one can control.